136th IPU assembly ends with Dhaka declaration

The five-day long 136th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) assembly ended this afternoon with the declaration of “Dhaka Communiqué”.

The “Dhaka Communiqué” called for strengthening efforts to open parliaments to all people and better representing the most impoverished community.

The declaration also urged to take measures to enhance transparency and to protect the political system from the influence of money and organised lobbies.

Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury announced the conclusion of the assembly at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.

A total of 1,348 delegates including 650 parliament members, 53 speakers, deputy speakers and 209 women parliamentarians of 131 countries attended the mega event.

The IPU Assembly, which was earlier called Inter-Parliamentary Conference, is the principal statutory body that expresses the views of the global forum on political issues bringing together parliamentarians to study international problems and make recommendations for action.

The IPU, established in 1889 with its headquarters in Switzerland, is the focal point for global parliamentary dialogues for peace, development, and cooperation among peoples, and for the safeguard of representative democracy.